In the aftermath of the recent criminal events, the president, vice president and many members of Congress are attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims by attempting to enact laws, restrictions and, even through use of executive order, prevent law-abiding American citizens from possessing certain firearms and ammunition magazines.

As the duly elected sheriff of Cherokee County, I want you to know and understand my position on this issue.

I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

In Georgia, as in most states, sheriffs are elected constitutional officers. Duly elected sheriffs are held accountable by no one other than the electorate of their respective counties.

There is only one exception, in those extreme emergencies during which the governor of the state of Georgia issues a written declaration of emergency.

With this in mind, no one other than the governor in a declared state of emergency can tell the county sheriff what to do or command their deputies and personnel into action.

We are empowered to enforce all state laws and have no authority or duty to enforce any federal law or mandate. The president and/or any other federal official have no authority to order the county sheriff to do anything.

This interpretation is not new. It has been the law of the land since these United States of America came into existence.

On Dec. 27, 2012, my oath of office was administered by our Probate judge, with the final sentence stating, “... and that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of this state, so help me God.”

Therefore, I will fully exercise the power of the office of sheriff to protect and defend the constitutional rights of the citizens of Cherokee County.

My position is best stated by fellow Sheriff Tim Muller of Linn County, Ore., in his letter to the president:

“We are Americans. We must not allow, nor shall we tolerate, the actions of criminals, no matter how heinous the crimes, to prompt politicians to enact laws that will infringe upon the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws.”

Along with Sheriff Muller and other sheriffs throughout the country, including Georgia, I will not enforce any laws or regulations that negate the constitutional rights of the citizens of Cherokee County.

Nor shall those laws and regulations be enforced by me or by my deputies, nor will I permit the enforcement of any unconstitutional regulations or orders by federal officers within the borders of Cherokee County.

“Public safety professionals serving in the executive branch do not have the constitutional authority, responsibility, and in most cases, the credentials to determine the constitutionality of any issue,” Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said in a statement. "Law enforcement officials should leave it to the courts to decide whether a law is constitutional or not." Well-said, Sheriff Grayson.

As a resident of Cherokee Country and as a veteran who swore an oath to support and depend the Constitution, I stand by Sheriff Garrison. We need more leaders like him in this country. To paraphrase Lincoln: America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and allow our government to take away our rights and freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

What Sheriff Muller said bears repeating:

"We are Americans. We must not allow, nor shall we tolerate, the actions of criminals, no matter how heinous the crimes, to prompt politicians to enact laws that will infringe upon the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws."

I realize that many of you would rather remain in utter ignorance so you can continue to claim that the "guvmint" is coming to get your guns...but for those who want to discuss it with any intelligence, please read the 23 recommendations and suggestions (perhaps the editors will supply them since I am limited in the number of words I may submit)...then feel free to find the one you think says they are coming for your guns. And, PLEASE...do you REALLY believe you could defend yourself against our the world's most powerful military with a few automatic rifles...FOR REAL??!!

So... likewise, I would ask AnneP, have YOU watched the NRA's speech and recommendations? Chances are, NO. While the liberals chided and denigrated the NRA about "putting guns in schools" 30% of schools in American ALREADY HAVE THEM. Mostly those located in gun-free cities like DC, LA, Oakland, Chicago, NYC, and Newark...

Also, has she read Dianne Feinstien's proposed legislation, and those statements of jackasses like Michael Bloomberg?

Regarding, "do you REALLY believe you could defend yourself against our the world's most powerful military with a few automatic rifles..."

If only 3% of the gun-owning public stood-up against Federal Forces, the ratio would be approximately 1:1, the resulting blood-bath would make Afganistan and Iraq look like a church picnic.

Americans have 300 MILLION civilian owned guns, owned by 49% of households, or, 88 guns per 100 people, while Afghanistan has under 5 / 100k, and Iraq has 34.2 / 100k. Americans would be fighting a US Military, whose bases are now co-located in the centers of metropolitan areas, on its home turf, constrained by Geneva Conventions, and UN Policies.

This is EXACTLY what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they added the Second Amendment:

“The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed, which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation… where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” - James Madison, The Federalist #46.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. - Thomas Jefferson

“God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well-informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty… And, what country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon, and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots, and of tyrants. It is natural manure.”

- Thomas Jefferson, November 13, 1787

Please, enlighten me again with your wisdom.

Cherokee Resident

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January 22, 2013

Thank you Sheriff Garrison for making this public statement. I firmly believe that any Law Enforcement Officer that feels that only Law Enforcement or Military should be armed, should not have a gun. That concept promotes the very "police state" that our forefathers held in disdain and contempt. The 2nd Amendment was never about hunting, sport, or even self defense of one's home or property. Reading the opinions of the framers of the Constitution reveals their thoughts on the 2nd Amendment - the right to bear arms was the security of "We The People" to fight tyranny in government .. and this right shall not be infringed. Any infringements on the 2nd Amendment for law abiding and responsible citizens, is clearly unconstitutional.

It's not his job to decide what's constitutional or not. Elected officials deciding for themselves what laws will or will not be enforced would lead to anarchy. The courts determine what's constitutional. Elected officials who cannot accept that should be removed from office.

The Cherokee Sheriff's Office has accepted the motto, "Setting a New Standard for Law Enforcement." So, is political grandstanding or using the office of sheriff as a platform a new standard? Was such a statement made when Reagan and Clinton supported assault weapons bans? Does the new standard include making disgusting accusations against the President ("attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims")? This statement does nothing to educate or reassure the people he is supposed to be protecting (the President has only asked that an assault ban already in place in the past, be reinstated)...it simply adds to the myth that our second amendment rights are in danger and that the extremists will have his support in a mythical fight against the government. Too many crazies out there are just waiting for the opportunity to use that firepower they have been buying up. A wise, thoughtful, educated, and intelligent leader would be calming the insanity by correctly informing the public that his job is to serve and protect ALL of us...not just those to whom he is beholden or the ones screaming the loudest, and that our rights are not in jeopardy...because they are not. If he needed to say anything at all, it was simply to state that he would do his job...nothing more has been asked of him.

I still haven't seen 25 dead children brought out from SANDY HOOK yet.

Angry Mother

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March 30, 2013

Sadly, lack of education and rampant paranoia rule in Cherokee County, Georgia. They don't get it and never will. Our only voice is our vote. I will continue to fight for gun control until something is done. I'm a mother and grandmother and I'm angry.

And to AnnePU...I am unable to comment directly on your post however, those 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary were turn into ground beef...one child shot 12 times.

Stephen J. Sedensky III, the state's attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury, said before heading to the school, Lanza shot his mother in the forehead with a .22 caliber rifle while she slept, and there was no indication of a struggle.

He then took her car to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he shot his way into the building and opened fire, killing the 20 children and six adults with a Bushmaster .223 caliber model XM15 rifle.

The bushmaster, Sedensky said, was loaded with a 30-round capacity magazine. Fourteen rounds were in the magazine when the weapon was recovered by officers and there was one round still in the chamber.

Sedensky said Lanza took his own life with a single shot from a Glock 10mm handgun and was also in possession of a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer P226 handgun. Lanza also had more ammunition for the weapons he had on his person as well as three 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster, each of them containing 30 rounds.

In the area of the shootings were six additional 30-round magazines and contained 0, 0, 0, 10, 11 and 13 live rounds, respectively.

In total, 154 spent .223 casings were recovered from the scene, and investigators believe that the shooting only lasted five minutes.

If you need to see the photographs to believe it actually happened, contact the Newtown, CT police department. To believe this is a government cover-up to take away your guns, with "actors" playing the part of distraught parents, siblings, police and medical personnel is just flat out crazy. Get psychological help.

The Angry American

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January 18, 2013

I've never been more proud to be a resident of Cherokee County and the Great State of Georgia. We live in troubling times, and we need more heroes like Sheriff Garrison who have the courage to stand up to those who would usurp our freedoms and defile our Constitution.

Good on you, Roger Garrison! My family and I will sleep a lot better now knowing that you'll take a stand with us against a rogue federal government police force. I probably have more to fear than most in Cherokee County and it really warms my heart to see how serious you are about your oath and your duty to protect us and our rights. God bless Sheriff Roger Garrison. Make sure your predecessor understands this, too.

Well said. In the great reality of this situation in my humble opinion, it is not guns that are the issue. It is the Constitution being picked apart by those who believe the Constitution is just a "guide" and is "antiquated". It is the Constitution that has held this country of 315,000,000 people and 50 States together after a horrific civil war. Now the leftist's in power stand ready to go around or just ignore the Constitution, knowing in time they will capture the Supreme Court and their ability to rule by decree will be upheld.

“Our safety, our liberty depends on preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the US are the rightful masters of both Congress, and the Courts. Not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln

Of course, we should all probably just ignore Lincoln's comment, since he was a Republican... and probably just directing this comment to the racist, pro-slavery Democrats...

Here, how about this one?

“The Constitution of the United States shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” - Samuel Adams (During the Massachusetts U.S. Constitution ratification convention)," 1788.

The Constitution is the gold-standard to which a democratic society should try to aspire. It enumerates the founding principles of America. But, in the end, its force and authority lie in OUR desire, as a people, to stand-up for what it represents. Of its own, it is merely a document, mutable, evolving, based on interpretation, changing morality, and evolving values.

If we choose to squander our freedoms... if we volunteer to hand-over our finances, trade, and commerce... if we choose to abdicate our responsibilities and freedom to a pack of liars and self-indulgent, power-hungry ego-maniacs... then, no mere document can restore them.

That is why there is a Second Amendment, to preclude tyranny of government or intimidation by the masses from the equation of democracy.

Slate Magazine estimated there are 3.7 million AR-type rifles alone, in the US. There are just as many AK-pattern rifles, plus larger-caliber M1A, FAL, CETME, etc... all part of Dianne Feinstein's 157 banned weapons. Ten MILLION black rifles with pistol grips would probably be a fair estimate. Yet... "assault rifles" committed less than .6% of gun murders.

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